How to delete someone from a group chat depends on which platform you use and whether you created the group
On most platforms — WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, iMessage, Telegram, Discord — you can remove someone from a group chat if you are the group admin or creator. The person you remove will see that they have been taken out, though the exact message varies by platform. They will no longer receive new messages sent to that group, and on some platforms they cannot see the chat history after removal.
If you did not create the group, you may still be able to remove people if the creator gave you admin rights. On platforms like Discord and Telegram, admins can have different permission levels — one admin might remove members while another cannot. If you have no admin role, you cannot remove anyone; you can only leave the group yourself or report the group to the platform if it violates their rules.
Key Takeaways
- You can only remove someone from a group chat if you are the group admin or creator, or if the creator gave you admin permissions.
- The removed person will be notified they were removed and will stop receiving messages, though they may still see past messages depending on the platform.
- On WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and iMessage, removal is straightforward; on Discord and Telegram, you need to check your admin permissions first.
- If you are not an admin and want someone removed, you must ask the group creator or another admin to do it.
How to remove someone on WhatsApp
Open the group chat, tap the group name at the top, and scroll down to see the list of members. Long-press or tap and hold the name of the person you want to remove. A menu will appear with the option to remove them. Tap it, and they are out of the group when ready.
The removed person will see a notification saying they were removed from the group. They can still see all the messages that were sent before the removal, but they cannot send new messages or see anything posted after they left. If the group creator has turned on the setting that lets removed members rejoin, the person can request to join again — but you would have to approve it.
How to remove someone on Facebook Messenger
Open the group chat and look for the group name at the top. Tap it to open the group details. Scroll down to the members list, find the person you want to remove, and tap the X or minus icon next to their name. Confirm the removal when prompted.
On Facebook Messenger, the removed person will see that they are no longer in the group. They can see the conversation history up to the point they were removed, but cannot see new messages. Unlike WhatsApp, they cannot rejoin without being added back by an admin.
How to remove someone on iMessage
Open the group chat and tap the group name or details at the top of the conversation. Look for the list of participants. Tap "Edit" or the pencil icon, then tap the red minus sign next to the person's name. Confirm the removal.
iMessage will notify the removed person that they have been taken out of the group. They will no longer see new messages in that conversation. On iMessage, group chats work differently than on other platforms — if only two people remain, the chat may convert back to a one-on-one conversation.
How to remove someone on Discord
Right-click the person's name in the member list on the right side of the server or group channel. Select "Kick" to remove them from the server, or "Ban" if you want to prevent them from rejoining. Kicking removes them once; banning prevents them from coming back unless an admin unbans them.
The removed person will see a message saying they were kicked or banned. If you only kicked them, they can ask for a new invite link and rejoin. If you banned them, they cannot rejoin without an admin removing the ban. Check your server settings to see whether you have the permission to kick or ban — some admins can only do one or the other.
How to remove someone on Telegram
Open the group chat and tap the group name at the top to see the member list. Find the person you want to remove and tap their name. A menu will appear with options including "Remove from group." Tap it to remove them.
Telegram will notify the removed person that they have been taken out. They can still see the chat history up to the point of removal. If the group creator has allowed it, the removed person can rejoin using an invite link — but you would have to approve them if the group requires admin approval for new members.
What happens to the removed person's messages
On most platforms, the messages a removed person sent before they were taken out stay in the group chat. Other members can still see what they wrote. The removed person can see their own old messages if they look at the chat history, but they cannot send new ones or see messages posted after their removal.
Some platforms let you delete a specific person's messages from the group history, but this is a separate action from removing them. You would need to go through and delete each message individually, or check whether your platform has a bulk-delete feature for one user's content.
What to do if you are not an admin
If you want someone removed but you are not an admin, you have two options: ask the group creator or another admin to remove them, or leave the group yourself. There is no way to force a removal if you do not have admin rights.
If the group is violating platform rules — for example, if someone is harassing others or sharing illegal content — you can report the group to the platform itself. Most platforms have a report button in the group settings. The platform's moderation team will review the report and may remove the person or the entire group if it violates their terms of service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a removed person see the group chat after they are removed?
They can see the messages that were sent before their removal, but not new messages. On most platforms, they cannot send messages or interact with the group anymore. Some platforms let them see the chat history; others hide it entirely after removal.
Will the removed person know who removed them?
They will know they were removed from the group, but most platforms do not tell them who did it. They will see a notification like "You were removed from [Group Name]" without naming the admin who removed them.
Can someone rejoin a group after being removed?
It depends on the platform and the group settings. On WhatsApp and Telegram, they can rejoin if they have an invite link and the group allows it. On Facebook Messenger and iMessage, they can only rejoin if an admin adds them back. On Discord, they can rejoin if they were kicked but not if they were banned.
What if I remove someone by mistake?
You can add them back by sending them a new invite link or adding them manually to the group, depending on the platform. Most platforms do not have an "undo" button for removals, so you will have to re-add them manually. They will see a new notification that they were added back.
Can I remove someone without them knowing?
No. All major platforms notify the removed person that they have been taken out of the group. The notification may not say who removed them, but they will know the removal happened.